Vacuum brush



Dec. 19, 1967 o, woo Ru F v 3,358,317

VACUUM BRUSH Filed Oct. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Unitcd States Patent 3,358,317 VACUUM BRUSH Oscar G. Woodrufl, 404 N. Oro St., Stockton, Calif. 95205 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,054 Claims. (Cl. 15-398) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attachment for the suction conduit of conventional vacuum cleaners, the attachment including an elongated housing or shell, the interior of which is in open communication with the. suction conduit, the suction inlet thereto being defined by enclosed spaced side walls which, in turn, mount valve means for controlling the degree of applied suction, and including means cooperatively mounted on the side walls for releasably securing bristle means thereon with the tufts of the latter being contoured not only to extend in a direction away from the shell substantially perpendicular to its longitudinal axis but also to smoothly curve around one end thereof into substantially parallelism therewith.

This invention relates to a vacuum brush, and constitutes an improvement over my previous United States Patent No. 2,845,651.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved vacuum brush which is particularly adapted for the cleaning of flat surfaces, such as venetian blind slats which require cleaning or dusting on both sides.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a brush of this nature which carries sets of forwardly projecting bristles, which may be inserted into narrow crevices or areas which are inaccessible to conventional brush attachments normally associated with vacuum cleaners or the like.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this nature wherein the brushes may be readily and expeditiously replaced with a minimum of time, eifort and difiiculty when they become worn.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character wherein the suction opening may be varied in size to increase or decrease the degree of suction afforded to the space being dusted or cleaned.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient in operation and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize.

Other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, certain concealed portions thereof being indicated in dotted lines of one form of brush embodying the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken substantially along the center line of the brush; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIGURE 3, as viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawing in detail, the device of the instant invention is generally indicated at 10 and comprises a transversely arcuate shield or shell 11, having an opening 12 in the upper portion thereof which communicates with the flat lower portion 13 of a cylindrical fitting 14 which is adapted to be attached directly to the nozzle of a hose or the like connected to any standard vacuum cleaner.

The shell 11 includes a rear wall closure 15. Interiorly of the shell are a pair of outwardly diverging side wall portions 16, which are open at the top as at 17 in communication with the opening 12, and open at the bottom as at 18. A pair of ribs or fianges 11a extend along the underside of the shell 11 on opposite sides of opening 12 and serve as seats and seals for walls 15. A plate 19 extends along the rear portion of open bottom 18 and partially closes the same. Grooves 20 in sidewalls 16 carry a slidable plate 22 having a depending finger-engaging gri 23 thereon, the plate being slidably movable in grooves 20 to vary the size of bottom opening '18 and hence the degree of suction drawn through fitting 14.

A plurality of removable brush elements 25 which include bristles 26 and heads 27 are extended around the lower and front periphery of the body and include tufts 26a which project directly forward from the forward arcuate end of the device. The latter tufts 26a may be extended into crevices or recesses normally inaccessible to a brush of this character. Brush heads 27 are secured in position by offset portions 28 of side flanges 29 which extend exteriorly of the walls 16 and which may be clampingly engaged therewith by means of bolts 30 and nuts 31. Arcuate flanges 32 at the tops of flange members 29 effectively seal the bottom of portion 13 so that suction extends only through the openings 18, 17 and 12 between the oppositely disposed tufts of bristles 26.

A depending ing 35 constitutes an integral portion of the interior of shell 11 and has an aperture 36 therein for the reception of a pin 37 which extends through a head portion 38 which comprises an integral element of the brush structure and is provided with a recess 38a therein to accommodate lug 35. The pin in conjunction with a screw 39 which extends through rear wall 15 and an end plate 40 into a threaded bore 39a in a body portion 41 interiorly of the device and adjacent the rear thereof serves to secure the brush assembly in readily removable position adjacent the wall 15. Block 41 includes a rear plate 41a to which is secured the closure plate 19. By simply removing the screw 39 and the pin 36 the entire brush assembly may be removed as an integral unit.

The shell 11 serves as a directing medium for diverting dislodged particles of dust or the like towards and into the suction opening between the bristles.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved brush structure which is readily adaptable as an attachment to a vacuum cleaner, which reaches inaccessible crevices or other portions requiring dusting or cleaning, wherein the strength of the vacuum may be varied, and which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A vacuum cleaner brush attachment comprising an elongated hollow body having an opening in the bottom thereof and a suction neck secured to said body, said hollow body having an air inlet opening providing communication into said hollow body, a pair of elongated brushes each including an elongated brush head and bristle tufts, means mounting said brushes in outwardly diverging relation on each side of said hollow body with said air inlet being disposed therebetween, an arcuate shell positioned over. said body and having outwardly diverging suction diverting side walls, said shell having lug means therein, complementary lug means carried by said hollow body, and means securing said first mentioned lug and complementary lug means in related assembly.

2. The structure of claim 1, and means mounted between said brushes for varying the size of said air inlet opening.

9 3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said means for varying the size of said air inlet includes a slidably mounted plate.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said hollow body includes an arcuate forward end portion and said brushes each include a head portion contoured to said forward end portion and bristles extending radially outwardly thereof including terminal bristles-projecting axially of said hollow body.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means mounting said brushes provides for the removable mounting thereof and comprises opposite side flanges having offset portions clampingly engaging said brush heads on the outer sides of said side walls and means securing said flanges in clamping relation to said side walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,597,855 8/1926 Zahorsky 15-402 X 2,206,738 7/1940 Brock et al. 15395 2,469,256 5/1949 Brakman 15-398 2,811,738 11/1957 Gall 15-395 X ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A VACUUM CLEANER BRUSH ATTACHMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BODY HAVING AN OPENING IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND A SUCTION NECK SECURED TO SAID BODY, SAID HOLLOW BODY HAVING AN AIR INLET OPENING PROVIDING COMMUNICATION INTO SAID HOLLOW BODY, A PAIR OF ELONGATED BRUSHES EACH INCLUDING AN ELONGATED BRUSH HEAD AND BRISTLE TUFTS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID BRUSHES IN OUTWARDLY DIVERGING RELATION ON EACH SIDE OF SAID HOLLOW BODY WITH SAID AIR INLET BEING DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN, AN ARCUATE SHELL POSITIONED OVER SAID BODY AND HAVING OUTWARDLY DIVERGING SUCTION DIVERTING SIDE WALLS, SAID SHELL HAVING LUG MEANS THEREIN, COMPLEMENTARY LUG MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOLLOW BODY, AND MEANS SECURING SAID FIRST MENTIONED LUG AND COMPLEMENTARY LUG MEANS IN RELATED ASSEMBLY. 